System and method for remote management

ABSTRACT

A computing component is provided for use in a client computer which has a client processor. The computing component includes a remote management processor that is operable to selectively control the client computer independently of the client&#39;s own processor or processors. The computing component also includes a network component that facilitates communication between the computing component and a remote management machine. A method of managing one or more clients in a computer system is also provided, where the clients have a client processor and a computing component installed on client. The computing component is independent of the client processor and is operable to selectively control the client. A network component is installed on the computing component. The method includes remotely controlling the client by communicating with the computing component through the network component utilizing a remote manager.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a computer system and, moreparticularly, to a system and method for remote management of acomputer, such as a server in a network environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A common arrangement for a computer system involves one or moreclient-server machines within a network. For example, a computer systemmay have thousands of servers operating in a number of differentlocations. The servers may be located in several different cities, orseveral different countries. However, it is desirable that the entireserver system be manageable from a central location. Managingmission-critical servers in a distributed environment is difficult. Inorder to properly centralize server management in such a situation, theadministrator at the central management location must be able todetermine whether each of the servers in the system is running andworking properly and whether each of the servers is performing the tasksrequired at the correct level of service. Additionally, if anything isbeginning to deteriorate at any particular server, the administrator atthe central management location needs to be informed in a timely fashionso that corrective actions can be taken. Ideally, the administratorshould also be proactively warned that a particular server isdeteriorating.

One conventional method of central server management involves utilizingmanagement software on each server. However, this software analyzes onlycertain errors that may occur within certain parts of the server, andgenerates error logs. For example, in the International Organization forStandardization Open Systems Interconnection (ISO/OSI) model, there areseven layers. The available management software typically looks at onlycertain layers of the OSI stack. For example, some software monitors andmaintains the hardware aspects of the server, while other software mayonly monitor the network or application layers of the OSI stack. Thisconventional approach limits the information gathered and does notalways present the true status of the server. Another conventionalmethod of central server management utilizes network managementprotocols. These protocols are low level protocols, such as SNMP (SimpleNetwork Management Protocol), that can provide a basic indication of thehealth and performance of the server. Yet another conventional solutioninvolves utilizing a monitoring and polling agent on each server. Thisagent sends back alerts to the central control console.

Each of the above conventional solutions presents drawbacks ordisadvantages. For example, in order to monitor for a particular error,the type of error must be known. In other words, you must first know ofthe possibility of the error before you can monitor the server for theerror. Additionally, the act of monitoring the server can create a largeamount of monitored data that must be collected and sent to the centralmanagement location. The transmission of this monitored data can thuscreate a large amount of network traffic placing a strain on networkcommunication resources. Further, each of the above conventionalsolutions utilizes the network link between the central managementlocation and the server being managed. However, if the network link isdown, possibly as a result of the server, then the ability to manage theserver from the central management location is lost. Additionally, ifthe server suffers a catastrophic failure, the network connection willbe lost. Moreover, once the server suffers the failure, any error logsor other data may be irretrievable. Moreover, the conventional softwaresolutions focus only on certain layers of the OSI stack, rather thanallowing access to the entire OSI stack.

Another problem arises if the operating system of the server isinoperable, or about to become inoperable, for some reason. If theserver being monitored is showing signs of degradation, it may bedesirable to perform a low-level reboot of the server. In this instance,under the conventional approach, someone must be sent to the location ofthe server to “reboot” the server and perform any required maintenance.In a server environment in which the server is located remotely from thecentral management location, this can result in a large amount of serverdown time as the technician travels to the server location.

Accordingly, there is a need for an effective system and method formanaging a client from a central management location that allows accessto all layers of the OSI stack. There is also a need for a system andmethod for managing a client from a central management location thatdoes not rely upon the network link between the server and the centralmanagement machine to remotely manage the client. A need exists for asystem and method for managing a client from a central managementlocation that can be used to reboot and perform certain operations on aremote server computer from the central management location

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a client computerfor use in connection with a client computer system and a remotemanagement machine. The client computer includes a client processor thatis operable to control the client. The client computer further includesa computing component that has a remote management processor that isoperable to selectively control the client computer independently of theclient processor in response to instructions from the managementmachine.

Another aspect of the present invention is directed to acomputer-readable medium having stored thereon computer executablecomponents. The first component is a communication component that isoperable to communicate with and control a client computer. The secondcomponent is a communication component that is operable to communicatewith a remote manager.

Yet another aspect of the present invention involves a method ofcommunication between a remote applications process and a clientapplications process in a computer system environment. The methodinvolves querying the client applications process by the remoteapplications process for data indicative of one or more clientproperties and then transmitting the data from the client applicationsprocess to the remote applications process.

Still another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method ofmanaging one or more clients in a computer system, where the clientshave a client processor and a computing component installed on client.The computing component is independent of the client processor and isoperable to selectively control the client. A network component isinstalled on the computing component. The method includes remotelycontrolling the client by communicating with the computing componentthrough the network component utilizing a remote manager.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The present invention is described in detail below with reference to theattached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computing system implementing a singleboard computing system in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the preferred components of the singleboard computing system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a preferred networked environment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a suitable computing system environment foruse in implementing the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a system and method for remotely managingat least one client from a central location. FIG. 4 illustrates anexample of a suitable computing system environment in which theinvention may be implemented. The computing system environment is onlyone example of a suitable computing environment and is not intended tosuggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of theinvention. Neither should the computing environment be interpreted ashaving any dependency or requirement relating to any one or combinationof components illustrated in the exemplary operating environment.

The invention is operational with numerous other general purpose orspecial purpose computing system environments or configurations.Examples of well known computing systems, environments, and/orconfigurations that may be suitable for use with the invention include,but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers, hand-heldor laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems,programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframecomputers, distributed computing environments that include any of theabove systems or devices, and the like.

The invention may be described in the general context ofcomputer-executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines,programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that performparticular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Theinvention may also be practiced in distributed computing environmentswhere tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linkedthrough a communications network. In a distributed computingenvironment, program modules may be located in both local and remotecomputer storage media including memory storage devices.

With reference to FIG. 4, an exemplary system for implementing theinvention includes a general purpose computing device in the form of acomputer 20. Components of computer 20 include, but are not limited to,a processing unit 22, a system memory 24, and a system bus 26 thatcouples various system components including the system memory to theprocessing unit 22. The system bus 26 may be any of several types of busstructures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheralbus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. By wayof example, and not limitation, such architectures include IndustryStandard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus,Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA)local bus, and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus also known asMezzanine bus.

Computer 20 typically includes a variety of computer readable media.Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessedby computer 20 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media,removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and notlimitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage mediaand communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatileand nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in anymethod or technology for storage of information such as computerreadable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data.Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM,EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digitalversatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes,magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices,or any other medium which can be used to store the desired informationand which can be accessed by computer 20. Communication media typicallyembodies computer readable instructions, data structures, programmodules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier waveor other transport mechanism and includes any information deliverymedia. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one ormore of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encodeinformation in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation,communication media includes wired media such as a wired network ordirect wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF,infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the aboveshould also be included within the scope of computer readable media.

The system memory 24 includes computer storage media in the form ofvolatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) 28 andrandom access memory (RAM) 30. A basic input/output system 32 (BIOS),containing the basic routines that help to transfer information betweenelements within computer 20, such as during start-up, is typicallystored in ROM 28. RAM 30 typically contains data and/or program modulesthat are immediately accessible to and/or presently being operated on byprocessing unit 22. By way of example, and not limitation, FIG. 4illustrates operating system 46, application programs 48, other programmodules 50, and program data 52.

The computer 20 may also include other removable/non-removable,volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. By way of example only,FIG. 4 illustrates a hard disk drive 34 that reads from or writes tonon-removable, nonvolatile magnetic media, a magnetic disk drive 36 thatreads from or writes to removable, nonvolatile magnetic disk 38, and anoptical disk drive 40 that reads from or writes to a removable,nonvolatile optical disk 42 such as a CD ROM or other optical media.Other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storagemedia that can be used in the exemplary operating environment include,but are not limited to, magnetic tape cassettes, flash memory cards,digital video disks, digital video tape, Bernoulli cartridges, solidstate RAM, solid state ROM, and the like. The hard disk drive 34,magnetic disk drive 36, and optical disk drive 40 are typicallyconnected to the system bus 26 by a Small Computer System Interface(SCSI) 44. Alternatively, the hard disk drive 34, magnetic disk drive 36and optical disk drive 40 may be connected to the system bus 26 by ahard disk drive interface, a magnetic disk drive interface, and anoptical drive interface, respectively.

The drives and their associated computer storage media discussed aboveand illustrated in FIG. 4, provide storage of computer readableinstructions, data structures, program modules and other data for thecomputer 20. In FIG. 4, for example, hard disk drive 34 is illustratedas storing operating system 46, application programs 48, other programmodules 50, and program data 52. Note that these components can eitherbe the same as or different from operating system 46, applicationprograms 48, other program modules 50, and program data 52. A user mayenter commands and information into the computer 20 through inputdevices such as a keyboard 54 and pointing device 56, commonly referredto as a mouse, trackball or touch pad. Other input devices (not shown)may include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner,or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to theprocessing unit 22 through a user input interface 58 or a serial portinterface 60 that is coupled to the system bus, but may be connected byother interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game portor a universal serial bus (USB). A monitor 61 or other type of displaydevice is also connected to the system bus 26 via an interface, such asa video adapter 62. In addition to the monitor 61, computers may alsoinclude other peripheral output devices such as speakers and printers,which may be connected through an output peripheral interface.

The computer 20 may operate in a networked environment using logicalconnections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer64, The remote computer 64 may be a personal computer, a server, arouter, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, andtypically includes many or all of the elements described above relativeto the computer 20, although only a memory storage device has beenillustrated in FIG. 4. The logical connections depicted in FIG. 4include a local area network (LAN) 66 and a wide area network (WAN) 68,but may also include other networks. Such networking environments arecommonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets andthe Internet.

When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 20 is connectedto the LAN 66 through a network interface or adapter 70. When used in aWAN networking environment, the computer 20 typically includes a modem72 or other means for establishing communications over the WAN 68, suchas the Internet. The modem 72, which may be internal or external, may beconnected to the system bus 26 via the serial port interface 60 or otherappropriate mechanism. In a networked environment, program modulesdepicted relative to the computer 20, or portions thereof, may be storedin the remote memory storage device. By way of example, and notlimitation, FIG. 4 illustrates remote application programs 48 asresiding on memory device 64. It will be appreciated that the networkconnections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing acommunications link between the computers may be used.

Although many other internal components of the computer 20 are notshown, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that suchcomponents and the interconnection are well known. Accordingly,additional details concerning the internal construction of the computer20 need not be disclosed in connection with the present invention.

Those skilled in the art will understand that program modules such asthe operating system 46, application programs 48 and data 52 areprovided to the computer 20 via one of its memory storage devices, whichmay include ROM 28, RAM 30, hard disk drive 34, magnetic disk drive 36or optical disk drive 40. Preferably, the hard disk drive 34 is used tostore data 52 and programs, including the operating system 46 andapplication programs 48.

When the computer 20 is turned on or reset, the BIOS 32, which is storedin the ROM 28 instructs the processing unit 22 to load the operatingsystem from the hard disk drive 34 into the RAM 30. Once the operatingsystem 46 is loaded in RAM 30, the processing unit 22 executes theoperating system code and causes the visual elements associated with theuser interface of the operating system 46 to be displayed on the monitor61. When an application program 48 is opened by a user, the program codeand relevant data are read from the hard disk drive 34 and stored in RAM30.

With reference to FIG. 1, an example of a suitable client computingsystem 74 implementing a single board computing component is illustratedin accordance with the present invention. In one embodiment of thepresent invention, the client computing system 74 involves a serverclient in a distributed server environment. The system 74 includes aclient machine such as a server 76. Components of client 76 include, butare not limited to, a processing unit 22, a system memory 24, and asystem bus 26 that couples various system components, including thesystem memory to the processing unit 22. These components, and othercomponents associated therewith, were discussed above with reference toFIG. 4. It should be understood that system 74 can include othercomponents, or fewer components. System 74 is only one example of asuitable client system and is not intended to suggest any limitation asto the scope of use or functionality of the invention.

With reference to FIG. 1, client 76 also includes a network interface oradapter 70 for coupling client 76 to a network 78. Network 78 could beany type of network connection, such as a LAN or a WAN. The client 76 isconnected through network 78 to a management machine 80. Conventionally,management machine 80 would utilize a network, such as network 78, tocommunicate with client 76 in order to perform various managementfunctions. However, if operating system 46 or network 78 becomesunavailable, the conventional configuration could not be used to manageclient 76.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the present invention preferablyincludes a single board computing component 82 installed on the bus 26of the client 76. Preferably, component 82 is a single board computerinstalled on bus 26 in a location allowing computing component 82 totake control of bus 26, such as a priority one slot. Component 82 is incommunication with management machine 80 as shown by the networkconnection 84. Network 84 may also be a LAN or a WAN. Moreover, networks78 and 84 need not be the same type of network. While networks 78 and 84are preferably separate networks, as shown, it should be understood thatthe invention includes a shared network, such as network 78. Stillfurther, the computing component 82 may also utilize the networkinterface 70 of the client machine 76.

Computing component 82 is shown schematically in FIG. 2 and broadlyincludes a memory 86, a central processing unit 88 and a networkinterface 90. The memory 86 includes computer storage media in the formof volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) 92and random access memory (RAM) 94. Preferably, at least 16 mega-bytes(MB) of memory are provided on computing component 82. A basicinput/output system (BIOS) 96 is preferably stored in ROM 92. RAM 94typically contains data and/or program modules that are immediatelyaccessible to and/or presently being operated on by processing unit 88,such as operating system 98, application programs 100 and other storage102. In a preferred embodiment, operating system 98 is MicrosoftCorporation's WIDOWS EMBEDDED NT operating system and processor 88 is abase line Intel PENIUM processor or equivalent. As would be readilyunderstood, the present invention is compatible with a variety ofoperating environments and/or processing systems, such as the use of ahigher processor.

The network interface 90 allows direct communication with computingcomponent 82 from a remote location. For example, management machine 80could be used, along with network 84, to communicate directly withcomputing component 82. If network 84 and network 78 are separate anddistinct networks, this communication can take place even though network78 is not operational. In other words, when network 84 is separate fromnetwork 78, a completely redundant system is provided. In such a system,any management data sent over network 84 will not interfere with thenormal client network traffic travelling over network 78. Moreover,because computing component 82 has its own operating system 98 andcentral processing unit 88, management machine 80 could be used tocommunicate with computing component 82 even though operating system 46is not operational.

It can therefore be understood that computing component 82 is anoperational computer installed on the system bus 26 of the client 76.Computing component 82 is separately addressable from the client via itsown network interface 90. Being separately addressable, computingcomponent 82 provides the ability to remotely manage and monitor thestatus and operation of the client 76. Moreover, computing component 82includes its own memory. Therefore, if desired, computing component canstore and run its own software, independently of the client 76.

Returning to FIG. 1, client 76 includes a monitor 61 connected to thesystem bus 26 via video adapter 62. As shown schematically in FIG. 1,the graphical data generated by the video adapter 62 can be captured andre-routed to computing component 82. The intercepted graphical data isthen transferred from computing component 82 through network 84 tomanagement machine 80. The operator of management machine 80 willreceive the graphical data and utilize the data to control the client76, as if the operator were physically present at the location of client76. Intercepting and redirecting the graphical data of client 76 can beaccomplished in any number of ways, as would be understood by those ofskill in the art. For example, a specialized video driver could bedirectly installed on the client 76 to redirect the graphical data tothe video adapter associated with computing component 82. Alternatively,a copy of the graphical data may be intercepted as it is being sent tothe display 61. This copy is then sent to the computing component 82 andthen out to the remote management machine 80.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is utilized within adistributed server environment, as shown in FIG. 3. In this environment,a number of server clients 76 are provided. Each of these servers mayexist in a different physical location. In some distributed serverenvironments, the servers 76 may be located in different countries fromone another. Each server 76 shown in FIG. 3 preferably has installedthereon a computing component 82 (FIG. 2) as discussed above. In thepreferred embodiment, each server is connected to network 78, which inturn is connected to remote management machine 80. In addition, eachcomputing component 82 is connected to a second network 84, which isalso connected to management machine 80. By incorporating a separatelyaddressable computing component 82 with its own network interface 90,the operators of management machine 80 can communicate directly withcomputing component 82 and provide complete management of client 76 fromthe remote location of machine 80. Moreover, in the preferred embodimentdescribed above utilizing two separate networks, a completely redundantsystem is provided. This allows the management of client 76 to continuein the event network 78 or client 76 is not operational.

Computing component 82 can be used to manage each client 76 remotelyeven in the event of a serious failure of the particular server. Thismanagement capability exists even in the event that the operating system46 of the client 76 is inoperable or partially inoperable. To providethis capability, computing component 82 must be capable of takingcontrol of the bus 26 and running as a bus-master on client 76.Computing component 82 can receive information, assess that informationand react to the information. Therefore, via instruction from managementmachine 80, the computing component 82 is capable of rebooting theclient 76 and taking control of the client bus 26. In such a situation,the operating system 98 of computing component 82 is not intended toreplace the operating system 46 of the client, but does allow completeremote access to the client 76 and its software in order to recover froma disaster situation.

Computing component 82 thus has the capability of taking control of thebus 26. However, the processing unit 22 of the client and the processingunit 88 of computing component 82 cannot have control of the bus 26 atthe same time. Therefore, computing component 82 must have thecapability of selectively assuming control of bus 26. A number ofapproaches exist to allow the computing component 82 to selectivelyassume control of the bus 26. For example, each processor can beinstructed to start at a different address. In other words, theprocessor 88 and the processor 22 each have a different booting address.By incorporating different starting addresses, the computing component82 and processing unit 22 will not try to implement the same BIOS.

Therefore, the processing unit having control of the bus can be selectedbased upon the initial starting address used. Another method involvesthe introduction of the basics of a multi-master bus system. Under thismethod, logic is incorporated at the bus-interface level of thecomputing component 82. This logic allows the computing component toaccess and take control of the bus 26. Yet another approach is availablewhen the operating system of the client 76 can accommodate a number ofprocessors. For example, in Microsoft Corporation's WINDOWS NT operatingsystem, eight central processing units can be used. In such a case, alleight processing units boot at the same time. It is therefore possibleto dedicate seven of the central processing units to client 76 andreserve one for the computing component 82. It can therefore be seenthat a number of approaches exist which allow computing component 82 toselectively assume control of the bus 26.

Utilizing the present invention, the system administrator is able toselect and address the computing component 82 directly and initiate aremote session. Because computing component 82 is separately addressablefrom the client 76, the particular computing component associated withthe desired client can be selected for this remote session. Moreover,because the graphical user interface of the client is intercepted androuted to the management machine 80, the administrator has thecapability of conducting all tasks as if someone were physically presentat the console of the client 76. The computing component resides on thebus 26, and allows the administrator fill access to the client,including all layers of the OSI stack. The administrator can fullyadminister the server, view event logs or trigger performance monitorcounter sessions as if physically present at the console of the client.

At the operating system level, the computing component can be used torun management processing, such as enterprise management functions,including performance monitoring and capacity planning. For example, thecomputing component 82 can be used to instruct the client 76 to collectvarious management data. Results from various polling functions, such asMicrosoft Corporation's PERFMON functionality, are submitted to thecomputing component 82. The operating system 98 of the computingcomponent may receive the data to perform analysis, such as determiningwhether a service level agreement has been violated. The computingcomponent 82 can also manage and store the data locally on the computingcomponent for later transmission to the management machine 80.Accordingly, the computing component facilitates client management whilereducing the strain on client resources.

Similarly, computing component 82 can be used to monitor clientapplications processes. Therefore, at the application level, thecomputing component 82 can be configured to run application-specificmonitoring. For example, the computing component 82 can be configured tomonitor the status of mission-critical application running on the client76. In the event of a serious application level failure, the systemadministrator can directly access the computing component 82 and run aremote session through it. The administrator has fall access to allfiles and data on the client 76 and can run any application-specifictools through the computing component 82.

The system administrator can also utilize the computing component 82 todeploy new software on the client 76. For example, if the systemadministrator desires to deploy new management software, the computingcomponent can be used to execute this deployment. In such a situation,the administrator addresses the computing component from managementmachine 80. The desired software is transferred over network 84. Thesoftware is thus stored locally on the computing component 82, and canbe run against the operating system 46 of the client each time thecomputing component boots. The computing component 82 can also be usedas an intermediary for the installation of software on the client 76.The software can be transferred to the computing component 82 and storedthereon until it is desired to install the software on the clientthereby allowing the administrator to schedule the installations. Theadministrator could also use the computing component 82 to Monitor asoftware installation that is taking place on the client 76. Thissoftware installation could also be performed in conjunction with themonitoring of the client 76, whereby the installation would be completedwhen specified conditions exist on the server, such as when the serveris not busy completing other tasks. Computing component 82 could also beconfigured by the administrator to install the software at a particulartime or according to a schedule.

The computing component 82 also allows the system administrator totrigger a hardware-level reboot on the client 76, by sending such aninstruction to computing component 82 via management machine 80.Computing component 82 includes on-board logic that can be triggered totrip the boot logic on the bus 26. By triggering the boot logic, alow-level reboot (or “power cycle”) of client 76 is performed. Thispower cycling is done remotely by the system administrator, without theneed of a person physically present at the location of client 76. Such apower cycling may be needed if the client 76 is showing a degradation inperformance. This facilitates a single distribution of softwarerequiring no further service by the administrator.

Alternative embodiments of the present invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art to which it pertains upon review of thespecification, including the drawing figures. Accordingly, the scope ofthe present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than theforegoing description.

1-36. (canceled)
 37. A client computer for use in connection with aclient computer system and a remote management machine, comprising: aclient processor operable to control the client computer, wherein theclient computer is monitored by the remote management machine over afirst communication path, the first communication path connecting theclient computer with the remote management machine over a first network;and a computing component having a remote management processor operableto selectively control the client computer, independently of the clientprocessor, in response to instructions received over a second distinctcommunication path from the remote management machine, the seconddistinct communication path connecting the computing component with theremote management machine over a second network distinct from the firstnetwork.
 38. The client computer of claim 37, further comprising anetwork component installed on the computing component, facilitatingcommunication with the remote management machine.
 39. The clientcomputer of claim 38, wherein the client computer system includes two ormore clients configured in a network environment.
 40. The clientcomputer of claim 39, wherein the computing component network componentand the client networked environment are separate.
 41. The clientcomputer of claim 37, wherein the computing component is a single boardcomputer.
 42. The client computer of claim 37, wherein the clientcomputer is a server computer.
 43. A computer-readable medium havingcomputer-executable components, comprising: a first communicationcomponent for communicating with and operable to selectively control aclient computer after receiving instructions over a first communicationpath from a remote manager in a client networked environment; and asecond communication component for communicating with the remote managerindependently of the client networked environment over a second distinctcommunication path in an alternative networked environment.
 44. Thecomputer readable medium of claim 43, wherein the client computer has anoperating system, and wherein the first communication component isoperable to control the operating system of the client computer.
 45. Thecomputer readable medium of claim 44, wherein the client computer hashardware components thereon and wherein the first communicationcomponent is operable to control the hardware components of the clientcomputer.
 46. The computer readable medium of claim 44, furthercomprising an interface component for capturing and transferring clientdisplay information to the remote manager.
 47. The computer readablemedium of claim 46, wherein the display information is graphical displayinformation.
 48. The computer readable medium of claim 45, wherein thefirst communication component includes a client management componentoperable to request, collect and store client management data.
 49. Thecomputer readable medium of claim 48, wherein the client management dataincludes capacity planning data.
 50. The computer readable medium ofclaim 48, wherein the client management data includes performancemonitoring data.